Helicopter



June ll, 1935. T. Tf cLAUsEN HELICOPTER Filed June 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June4 11, 1935. T. T. cLAusr-:N

HELICOPTER Filed June 27, 1933 Patentes June 11, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

helicopter principle, and capable of functioning.

without the usual wings or planes.

Among the objects of 4the invention are to provide a flying machine which is capable of rising or landing vertically, which can hover in midair, and which is capable of operating either at very high or very low speeds. Such a machine, used without wings, will be capable of landing in small or narrow places, such as house-tops, or iilloms, thus avoiding the necessity of landing According to my invention, the flying machinel is provided with propellers whosel direction of thrust is capable of variation, while at the same time the centers of lift of the propellers remain in fixed relation to the center of gravity of the fuselage, thereby maintaining the balance of the fuselage. In all previous devices of this general character, so far as I am aware, the shifting of the direction of thrust was accompanied by a shifting of the centers of lift of the propellers, thus throwing the entire device out of balance.

Another feature of my device is the provision of means for shifting all of the propellers and their motors longitudinally of the fuselage when one or more of the propellers are temporarily out of operation, or when one or more propellers previously. out of operation are put back into service again, in order to maintain constant the composite center of lift of all the propellers in operation with respect to the center of gravity of the fuselage.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description in which is set forth for the purpose of illustration an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation largely diagrammatic in character, showing a helicopter embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation on a reduced scale;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic. side elevation on a reduced scale, showing the propellers tilted forward;l l

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but .showing the entire driving mechanism including the propellers, motors, etc., shifted longitudinally; and

Fig. 6 is a. detailed section on line 9 6 of Fig. 3, showing the hinged mounting of the propeller and motor supports on slidable frames.

at 20 in a longitudinally slidable frame 2|.

'Ihe fuselage I0, asillustrated, may be termed tadpole shaped, being enlarged at the frontend I l and tapering toward the rear portion I2. The usual tiltable rear rudder, not shown, will preferably be employed for varying the direction of 5 night. Secured to the upper portion of the fuselage is a frame I3, rectangular-in shape,V rigidly attached to the fuselage by means of supports I4, see Fig. 2. No planes or wings are required in connection with an air craft of this 10 character. Y

Motive power is furnished by means af a plurality of propellers I5, herein shown as two in number, each mounted upon a suitable shaft I6 and each provided with a motor I'I, preferabhr 15 turning in a direction opposite to that of its respective propeller in order to neutralize the torque. As shown, air compressors I8 are provided, one for each motor, which compressors may be employed for starting the motors and also for 20' furnishing compressed air for other purposes to be hereinafter described.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, each propeller and its shaft, the motor for operating the same, and the compressor are 25 carried by a frame I9, which is pivotally mounted This sliding frame carries the two pivoted frames I9l with their respective propellers and motors. The sliding frame 2| is in turn carried by a second 30 frame 22, which is likewise slidable in the fixed frame I3 mounted upon the top of the fuselage. The relation of the various frames is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 6. For actuating the various sliding and pivoted frames, any suitable operating 35 mechanism may be employed, preferably pneumatic or electrical. In the present embodiment of the invention pneumatic means are disclosed. As shown, a storage tank 23 mounted within the xed frame I3is supplied with compressed air 4.0 from one or both of the compressors I8 actuated by the motor I 'I through iiexible tubes 24, which may be provided with suitable valves. An air motor 25 is carried by the movable frame 22, and is supplied from the storage tank through 45 flexible Vtubing 26 provided with a suitable valve means 21. The motor 25 is employed for operating the sliding frame 2| and for tilting the propeller shafts..

For operating the sliding frame 22 a motor 28 50 I is provided having tubular connections 29 with the storage tank 23, including a suitable valve. The motor 28 is reversible and actuates a shaft 30 journalled in the fixed frame I3 through suitable gearing. The shaft 30 carriesa drum 3| over 55 which passes a cable 32 connected at one end to the front of the sliding frame 22 and having its 'other end passed over an idler pulley 34 and attached to the rear end of the sliding frame 22.

The operation of the sliding frame 2| and the pivoted frames carrying the lower ends of the propeller shafts will now .be described. The reversible motor 25 drives through gears 35 and 36 a shaft 31 carrying a plurality of drums, herein shown as six in number, which are employed for winding cables attached to both ends of the frame 2| and to the upper portion of the pivoted propeller shaft frames. The drums and cables are so arranged and proportioned that rotating the shaft 31 in one direction actuates the sliding frame 2| carrying the lower portion of the propeller shafts, thus varying the angle of thrust, while the upper portion of each propeller shaft is moved vertically but not horizontally, remaining in the same vertical plane and not shifting the center of lift out of such plane. By turning the shaft in the opposite direction, the propeller -shafts are straightened or moved to the vertical position again without varying the center of lift from the original vertical plane.

As shown, the shaft 31 is provided with a pair of outer drums 38, a like pair of inner drums 39 and an intermediate pair of drums 40.

The drums 40 are provided with cables 4|, each attached at one end to the front end of the frame 2| and at the other end passing over an idler pulley 42 on a shaft 43 mounted in the frame 22. This other end is attached at 44 to the :rear end of the frame 2|. It will be noted that the arrangement is the same for each of the two drums 4D. It will be obvious that by rotating the shaft 31 in either direction the frame 2| may be caused to correspondingly reciprocate with respect to the xed frame |3.

Each outer drum actuates a cable 45. One end of each cable 45 passes over an idler pulley 46 at the front end of the frame 22 and is attached to the top of the front of pivoted frame I9 at approximately the center of thrust, the connection being made at the forward end. The other end of each cable 45 passes around a pulley 41 and is similarly connected at the front portion of the second or rear pivoted frame near the center of thrust. The two drums 38 are similar one to another and the cable connections are similar.

The two inner pulleys actuate a pair of cables 48. Each cable 48 has one end passing over an idler pulley 49 and attached at the top of the first 4through a suitable cable 54, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The usual rear rudder may be employed in addition, if desired. A retractable landing gear is indicated at 55.

Operation With the propellers in the position indicated in full lines in Fig. '1, with theirshafts substantially vertical and the center of thrust of the two propellers being removed substantially equal distances in;` a horizontal plane from the center of gravity lof the air-craft, the motors I1 are started and the machine will rise vertically. During this period the compressors I8 may be operated by the motors |1 to restore compressed air 'within the storage tank 23. Tovary the angle of thrust of the propellers, the air motor 25 is operated, causing the shaft 31 to rotate together with the drums 38, 39 and 40. 'I'he drums 40 and cables 4| will draw the frame 2| rearwardly, carrying with it the lower portion of the propeller shaft, together with the motors, compressors, etc. The drums 38 and 39, together with their respective cables, are so proportioned with respect to the drums 40 as to hold the centers of thrust of each of the' propellers in their original vertical planes, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 4. When in this position the air-craft will be moved rapidly forward by the propellers, owing to the component of force in the forward direction, while at the same time the weight of the craft will be sustained by the upward or lifting component of force. By reversing the motor 25 the propeller shafts may be restored to the vertical position for landing, hovering, etc. Obviously the propeller shafts may be maintained at any desired angle, the two positions shown in Figs. l and 4 being given for the purpose of illustration.

In the event that one of the motors should go dead or one of the propellers become inoperative for any reason, the craft may function with the remaining propeller or propellers, where more than two were originally employed. This may be accomplished by operating the motor 28 inthe proper direction to draw the frame 22 to the front or rear, as required in order to place the center of thrust of the remaining propeller or propellers directly over the center of gravity. Where more than two motors are employed, the composite center of thrust of the motors remaining in operation should be directly above the center of gravity. In Fig. 5 it is assumed that the rear motor is dead, and consequently the center of thrust of the front propellers has been moved to a position Where it is directly over the `center of gravity of the craft indicated by X. This position is to be contrasted with the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, wherein the centers of thrust are equally removed from the center of gravity.

The invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, but it will be obvious that many of such details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. The important feature4 of the inventionis the maintaining of the balance of the entire craft during such time as the direction of thrust may be varied.

What I claim is:

1. In a helicopter, a longitudinally shiftable frame, a plurality of upright frames hingedly mounted at their lower ends-in said longitudinally shiftable frame, and propellers, propeller shafts and motors mounted in said hinged frames, and means for maintaining the centers of the propellers in the same vertical planes during movement of the hinged frames.

2. In a helicopter, a longitudinally shiftable frame, an upright frame hinged at its lower end in said shiftable frame, a propeller, propeller shaft and motor carried by the frame, means for reciprocating the longitudinally shiftable frame, and means for preventing movement of the center of the propeller in a horizontal plane during such reciprocation.

3. In a helicopter, a longitudinally shiftable frame, a plurality of upright frames hingedly mounted at their lower ends in said longitudinally shiftable frame, and propellers, propeller shafts and motors mounted in said hinged frames, means for maintaining the centers of the propellers in the same vertical planes during movement of the hinged frames, and a second longitudinally movable frame carrying the first longitudinally movable frame and said last-named means,

whereby the entire mechanism may be shifted as a safety factor when one of the propelling units is rendered inoperative.

4. In a helicopter, a horizontally slidable frame, actuating. means therefor, a plurality of frames hingedly mounted in the slidable frame, each of the frames carrying a propeller projecting from its apex, with the propeller shaft and a motor for driving the samel mounted between the, sides thereof, means for maintaining the centers of said propellers in the same vertical plane as the frames are tilted, and a second longitudinally movable frame carrying the first-mentioned movable frame and said last-named means, whereby the entire mechanism may be shifted as a safety factor when one of the propelling units is rendered inoperative.

5. In a helicopter, a longitudinally shiftable frame, a plurality -of upright frames hingedly mounted at their lower ends in said longitudinally shiftable frame, and propellers, propeller shafts and motors mounted in said hinged frames, means f or maintaining the centers of the propellers in the same vertical planes during movement of the hinged frames, and a second longitudinally movable frame carrying the first longitudinally movable frame and said last-named means, whereby the entire mechanism may be shifted as a safety factor when one of the propelling units is rendered inoperative, air compressors actuated by said motors, a compressed air storage tank communicating with said compressors, and means operated by compressed air from said tank for actuating said frames.

. 6. In a helicopter, a longitudinally movable frame, an upright frame hingedly mounted at its lower end in said longitudinally movable frame, a propeller and propeller shaft carried by said hinged frame, and means for maintaining the top of the hinged frame in the same transverse vertical plane as the lower end is shifted fore and aft.

7. In a helicopter, a propeller having a propeller shaft, means for varying the angle of thrust of the propeller by tilting the propeller shaft while maintaining the lower end thereof in a horizontal plane, and means for preventing fore and aft movement of the propeller itself as the angle of thrust is varied.

8. A helicopter as set forth in claim 7, wherein the propeller moves vertically as its shaft is tilted.

9. In a helicopter, a propeller anda propeller shaft, means for shifting the lower end of the propeller shaft fore and aft in a horizontal plane, and means for maintaining the propeller itself substantially without movement horizontally during the shifting operation.

10. In a helicopter, a plurality of propellers, each having a propeller shaft and motor, a plurality of pivoted frames, each carrying a propeller shaft and motor, means for shifting the lower ends of all of said frames fore and aft in a horizontal plane, and means for preventing movement of said propellers horizontally during the "shifting operation.

11. In a helicopter, a horizontally movable frame, a plurality of propellers having shafts pivotally carried by said frame, means for shifting the frame to cause a tilting of the pivoted shafts, and' means for maintaining the centers of the propellers inthe same transverse vertical planes as the frame is shifted.

THORVALD T. CLAUSEN. 

